OFFIE MAG

GIG REVIEW: Lord Apex @ The Green Door Store

Some Sunday hip-hop at the Green Door Store was the most welcome awakening from a Saturday night hangover, as West London’s Lord Apex graced Brighton.

Hosted by local movements NDPNDNTS and QM Records, the Sensei headlined a bill compromised of local talent, and brought his own blend of self-described Interplanetary Funk. Some new material off of his popping Soundcloud like the GXNIUS produced, GAS truly went off, bringing some energy out of a fairly relaxed Sunday crowd.

GAS should be your entry-level Lord Apex if you don’t already know about the rapper who’s growing serious Soundcloud fame in a Spotify-dominated era. Rapping about his appreciation of Mary Jane as well as his music, Apex comes across as someone who’s celebrating a lust for life in this joint, and that came across in front of the cobbled floor of the GDS.

Live hip-hop is always difficult, but preaching a couple anecdotes of wisdom in his own humorous way, Lord Apex entertained a crowd made up of various Brighton rappers and creatives in their own right. UP EARLY is the chilled out tune that he most recently dropped a video for, with a hazy hook inducing listeners who’d sunk into a state of hypnotic head bopping.

Lyrically, Lord Apex was both clear and at times, really fucking jokes. Comparing the ‘hands-on’ stimulation of women to the childhood pastime of Tech Decks was a particular highlight, as it’s niche, tailored references like this in British hip-hop that draws myself and others to the music. The way the Londoner’s accent comes through in his voice is sick, too, adding an almost geezer-like quality to his raps about things that are more spacey and pro-weed than your standard chat with a West London pub lad.